Machine for removing sealing-disks from crown-corks and similar closures.



0. RASMUSSEN & E. ALBERTI. MACHINE FOR REMOVING SEALING DISKS FROM CROWN CORKS AND SIMILAR CLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 1911. 1 75,267 Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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j ATTORNEYZE 0. RASMUSSEN & E. ALBERTL' I MACHINE FOR REMOVING SEALING'DISKS FROM CROWN CORKS AND SIMELAR CLOSURES.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6, 19!?- 1,276,267. Patented Aug. 20, 191&

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MACHINE FOR REMOVING SEALING DISKS FROM CROWN CORKS AND SIMILAR CLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 6. I911- ,Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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0. RASMUSSEN & E. ALBERTI, MACHINE FOR REMOVING SEALING DISKS FROM -CROWN CORKS AND SIMILAR CLOSURES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 6. l9l7- 1 ,27 6,267 Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATNT one OLAF RASMUSSEN AND EMILIO ALBERTI, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO INTER- NATIONAL CORK COMPANY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MACHINE ron REMOVING SEALING-DISKS FROM CROWN-GORKS AND SIMILAR oLosUnEs. I

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Application filed November 6, 1917. Serial No. 200,564.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OLAr RAsMUssEN and EMILIO ALBERTI, a subject of the King of Denmark and a citizen of the United States, respectively, and residents of the city of New York, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Removing Sealing-Disks from Crown- Corks and Similar Closures, of which the following isa specification.

The present invention relates to a machine I for removing sealing disks from closures for bottles, cans, and like receptacles; moreparticularly from closures of the cap variety, including those termed crown corks.

Closures of this type comprise usually three parts, that is a metallic cap or crown to be locked to the neck of the bottle, etc., a sealing disk or packing of cork or the like, and a cementing medium, interposed between the cap and the sealing disk. In the process of manufacture, the finished closures are carefully examined and the imperfect or faulty ones removed from the mass. From the imperfect closures so selected those, which have crushed or otherwise damaged metallic caps, are thrown aside. The remaining imperfect closures have usually one of two defects, that is to say either their sealing disks or packings of cork or the like do not come up to the required standard, or the sealing disks are not properly united by thecementing material with the caps.

In order to permit these metallic caps to be used again, the sealing disks, which are either imperfect or do not properly stick to the caps, have to be removed from the said caps. This work has been performed heretofore marlually, the operator holding in one hand a closure and removing therefrom the sealing disk and the cementing material by a suitable tool held in the other hand. This work is exceedingly slow and thus too expensive, considering the low cost of the finished product. properly performed only in connection with crown corks or similar closures, in which the cementing medium is carried by a paper or similar disk and in which consequently the cementing medium, a a Whol can be s On the other hand, it can be moved simultaneously with the sealing disk. The process of removing the sealing disks and cementing medium becomes consider ably more expensive, if the cementing medium is placed into the closure in a viscous or liquid state and afterward coagulated, for the reason that such cementing medium cannot be removed usually with the sealing disk, but must be scraped ofi the metallic cap by the aid of a special tool; in other Words two, possibly, separate operations are necessary in such case to remove the sealing disk and the cementing medium.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a machine for the purpose specified, which is entirely automatic in its operation and efliciently removes both the sealing disks and the cementing material from the caps, restoring the latter to a state which does not differ at 'all from its original condition.

VVith these and other objects in view, which will more fully appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the

same consists in the combination, arrangement, and construction of parts hereinafter described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that many changes may be made in the size and proportion of the several parts and details of construction within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

One of the many possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with the present 55 of Fig. 2; and Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of the removing and scraping tools of the machines. 7

In the drawings the numeral 10 indicates the frame of'the machine, carried by legs 11,

On ;'this frame are -formed @bearings 12, in which is 'rotatably'journaled a driving shaft 13, to which rotation may be imparted in any suitable manner, .for instance there. may

5 be mountedthereon a loose-pulleyll and'a fixed pulley 15, over which runs a belt (not shown), that is actuated from a distant point. Above-the driving shaft-there are disposed on the table portion of the malO chine frame bearings 16, 17 and 18,"'said*" bearingsibeing in alinement with each other for a purpose hereinafter ,to heidescribed.

' Between the bearings 16 and 17 is located a V i ally ex ndi g ch te 1 .h ngitu i- L5 he exisc wh ch inte s c e aXi of e ,hearings 16,17 and 18. Thischutehas a prose-section accommodating crown =corks 20,.0116 ontopof another, asclearly appears from Rigs. 2 and 4 of the drawings] The 20 crowmcorks, from which thesealing .disks and the cementing material .are toQbe remov d, a p aced in i iminate y n a hopper .(not shown), which ,is provided u h,n.-i--ans fer feeding{them into the chute 2 5 19 in a manner that theosealing.v disks ,therein face the ,front .wall 21of the chute, or in other -.words the :bearing 17.

In the hearing 16 are slidably arranged two horizontally extending tubular members so 22 and 23, the llOllgitudinal axes of which are disposed in a vertical planeand inter the longitudinal axisof thechute above referred vto. These tubular m embers are :united by a suitably shaped plate 24, through which 35 they extend, screws 25 serving, in the case ,lllustratecl 'in thedrawing, to attach the said P ate to the said t ula membe s s t t the latter move together. In front of the plate 2% the tubular members are each pro- 0 vided with recess 26, accommodating a crown cork. The frontedges of the tubular members are notched at 27, corresponding ,to the corrugations 28 on the flange portions .of the crown corks. In the tubular as member 22 is slidably disposed a plunger 29,

' against the inner end of which bears one end of a spring 80, the other end of which abuts against a disk 31, which, in turn, bears against flange 32 in the tubular member so Upon the outer fork-shaped end 33 of the plunger is mounted a pin 34, seated in the fork-shaped end 35 of a lever 36. This lever is fulcrumed at 37 to the machine frame and carries upon its lower end a lug 38. this lug is mounted an anti-friction roller 39, reaching into the groove 40 of a cam d1, that is fixedly attached to the drivin shaf 1.

In each tubular member is slidably dislil) posed a presser stud 42. These studs slide in the direction of the longitudinal axes of the tubular members and are disposed centrally. The stud in the tubular member 22 is under the action of a spring .23, hearing against the same and against'the' disk 31 .a return stroke ofthe said slide.

abovereferredto. The springrl? is consid- Dresser stud .in the tubular .uncmber .23 is under athe .action :of ::a spring #14, bearing against the said stud and being-attached to a stationary projection 45 on the bearing 16.

lVitln-the studs d2 coacts- .a feeding mechanism, including a slide 46, adapted to re ciprocate in guideways 17 on the rear wall 48:of the chute. To this slide :is'pivoted at 4&9 a spring pressed feeding finger 50. The slide is actuated from the driving shaft 13, to which is fixedly attached .{for thisapurposo a cam 51, ooacting with a stem 52, that is reciprooably mounted in thebore of a boss .53'on the frame. This stem is connected by alink5'4 with a bell-crank lever 55,that is fulcrumed at 56 and connected-byalink 57 with the slide. The cam 51 causes, bytho 8 intermediary of the stem, bell-crank lever and links, the slide and the feeding finger .thereon to move downwardga spring 58, at-

tached tothe slide and =to'the chute,-causing The feeding finger 50;proje.cts into-the chute through a longitudinal slot'59 inithe-rear wall of the said chute. .AperturestO and *61 are formed in the rear wall of the chute below the slot mentioned and in a'linenien'twith the tubular members '22 and 23, the latter being thus permitted :to move into the-chute.

With the feeding finger 50 coacts a pointed gripper'62, that e'xtends at an acute angle to the front wall of the chute, and is adapted to enter the same zthrough a slot 63. The gripper is adjustablyfastened to a lever 64-, that-is dulcrumedat 65 to the chute, and carries upon its lower free end a lug 66, on which is mounted an anti-friction roller 67. This roller coac ts with a cam-68 on the drivingshaft. A spring 69, attached to the lever 64 and to the :bearing 17, continuously :keeps an anti-friction roller $7 in contact with the cam "68.

A crown cork, when held in :a manner hereinafter to be described by :the tubular member 22, is acted upon by a cutting tool 70, that is fixed to an arbor 7-1, ithe latter being rotatably and a eoiprocab ly mounted in the bearing 17 and in a sleeve 72. This sleeve is rotatahly mounted in the bearing 18. A driving connection is made between the sleeve and the cutter arbdr :by a key 73 on the sleeve, said key being SlldfliblY an ranged in a keyway 74 in the arbor. The sleeve is rotated from the driving shaft 13 by a pinion 75, 'keyed to the said sleeve and in mesh with a gear '76, the latter being fixedly attached to the driving shaft. The arbor 71 is reciprocated by the following i-nechanism: A ring '77 is loosely mounted'on an arbor and provided with pins '78, in engagement with the fork-shapedupper end 7 9 of a lever 80. This lever is fulcrunied at 81 1'50 to the frame, and'zcarriesintermediate its ends a lug 82, overwhich is drawn an antifriction roller 83, reaching into the groove 84: of a cam 85, the latter being fixed to the driving shaft. The ring 77 is held between stop rings 86, that are secured to the arbor 71, ball bearings 87 being inserted between the said stop rings and the ring 7 7 for the well known purpose. In the bearing 17 1s furthermore rotatably tubular member 28. -To'this arbor is attached a scraper tool 89. The arbor 88 is rotated from the arbor 71. For this purpose there is keyed tothe latter a pinion 90,

in mesh with a pinion 91, that is fastened to the arbor 88. The arbor 88 is reciprocated by the lever 80 above referred to, it carrying Y are adapted to pass.

The operation of this device is as foltions of the elements shown in Fig. 2 of the chute of the machine.

the drawings. If rotation is imparted to the driving shaft 13, the cam 41 causes the upper end of the lever 36 to swing toward In this manner the plunger 29 first compresses a spring 30, which, in turn, causes the tubular members 22 and 23 to move toward the chute. It is to be noted that the presser studs 42 are already in engagement with those two crown corks which are in alinement with the said tubular members; in fact, the said studs are continuously in engagement with crown corks in the chute. The tubular members, in the continued inward movement thereof, engage two crown corks, forcing them against the front wall of the chute and centering them in re lation to the cutter and scraping tools. The

centering operation is due to the shape of the recesses 26 1n the said tubular members. In asmuch as the corrugations on the flanges of the crown corks are seated in the notches in r the front edges of thetubular members, the

t y have been p per y centered y the ta and reciprocably mounted an arbor 88, in alinement with the bular members above mentioned. The rotary cutting tool enters thesealing disk of cork or the like of the crown cork in alinement therewith and, due to its rotary motion, breaks the connection made by the cementing medium between the sealing disk and-the metallic cap. The scraping tool. 89, on the other hand, due to its rotary motion scrapes the inner surface of the head of the metallic cap, from which the sealing disk has been previously removed by the cutting tool 7 O. The tubular members and the cutting and scraping tools recede then from the crown corks, the stripper removing from the tools the sealing disk andother material as they pass through the holes in said stripper. It is to be noted that in practice it has been found that the stripper is not absolutely necessary, as the disks and other foreign matter fall off the tools by gravity. The disks and'other foreign matter dropinto a chute 98, in which they slide into a recepi the chute, the cam 68 causes a disengagement of the pointed gripper 62 from the crown cork above the one which has been acted upon previously by the cutting tool 70. As soon as such disengagement has taken place, the cam 51 causes the slide 46 and the feeding finger 50 thereon to movedownward, whereby that crown cork with which the feeding finger is in engagement is shifted into alinement with the tubular member 22, the one which has been in alinement with the last mentioned tubular member'during the previous operation is brought into alinement with the tubular member 23, and the one which has been 'previously in alinement with the last mentioned tubular member and from which,as above described, both the disk and other foreign matter have been removed slides down the chute 19 into a receptacle below the same (thesaid receptacle is not shown). The gripper then moves into engagement with the next crown cork in the series, which is brought by gravityinto contact with the one just now shifted into alinement with the tubular member 22. It is to be noted that, while the shifting of the crown corks takes place, the lower stud 42 holds the whole row in place until the two lo'wercrown corks are engaged by the tubular members 22 and 23. While the tubular members and the cutting and scraping tools move toward the chute, and after the gripper 62 has been engaged with the crown cork above those which are in position to be acted on by the tools. the spring 58 causes the slide -16and finger 50 to move up. The feeding finger-50 is spring pressed to permit it to ride over the crown cork that is held in place by the gripper 62, the gripper being made use of P0 p event the fi ger 50- from lifting the crown corks above those which are to be acted upon during the next cycle of operation.

What we claim is:

1. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a chute for the'closures,

of means for intermittently feeding the closures through the said chute, means coacting sures through the said chute, means coacting with said chute for holding a stationary closure therein against rotation, and a rotary tool in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means.

3. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a chute for the closures, of reciprocating means for intermittently feeding the closures through the said chute, means coacting with said chute for holding a stationary closure therein against rotation, and means in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means.

l. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a chute for the closures, of means for intermittently feeding the closures through the said chute, means coacting with said chute for holding a stationary closure therein against rotation, means in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means, and means for preventing movement of the closures in said chute on the idle stroke of said feeding means. y

5. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of thecap variety, the combination with means for removing the sealing disk from 'a closure, of means for feeding the closures toward and into alinement with said removing means, and means for centering the closures in relation to said removing means and holding them against motion when in alinement with said removing means.

6. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a rotary tool for removing the sealing disk from the closure, of means for feeding the closures toward and into alinement with said tool, and means for centering the closures in relation to said tooland holding them against motion when in alinement with said tool. v a

7. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures ofthe capfvariety, the combination with i a carrier for the closures, of means for intermittently moving the closures on said carrier, Imeans coacting with said carrier for holding astationaryclosure thereon against rotation, andmeans n al nethereon against rotation, and a rotary tool in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means.

9. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a carrier for the closures, of reciprocating means for intermittently moving the closures on said carrier, means coacting with said carrier for holding a stationary closure thereon against rotation, and means in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means.

10. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a carrier for the closures, of means for intermittently moving the closures on saidcarrier, means coacting with said carrier for holding a'st'ationary closure thereon against rotation, means in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means, andmeans for preventing movement of the closures on said carrier on the idlestroke of said feeding means.

11. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a chute for the closures, of means for intermittently feeding the closures through said chute, means forremoving the sealing disks from the closures, means for scraping the inner faces of the heads of the closures after the sealing disks have been removed therefrom, and means coacting with said chute for holding the closures against rotation when in alinement with said removing and scraping means.

12. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a chute for theclosures, of means for intermittently feeding the closures through said chute, a rotary tool for removing the sealing disks from the closures, a rotary tool for scraping the inner faces of the heads of the closures after the sealing disks have been removed therefrom, and means coacting with said chute for holding the closures against rotation when in alinement with said tools.

13. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a carrier for the closures, of means for intermittently moving the closures on said carrier, means for removing the sealing disks from the closures, means for scraping theinner faces of the heads of the closures after the sealing disks have been removed therefrom, and means coacting with said carrier for holding the closures against rotation when in alinement with said removing and scraping means.

14. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a vertical chute for the closures, of means for intermittently feeding the closures through said chute, means coacting with said chute for holding a stationary closure therein against rotation, and means in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means.

15. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a vertical chute for the closures, of means for intermittently feeding the closures through the said chute, means coacting with said chute for holding a sta tionary closure therein against rotation, and a rotary tool in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means.

16. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a vertical chute for the closures, of reciprocating means for inter mittently feeding the closures through said chute, means coacting with said chute for holding a stationary closure therein against rotation, and means in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means.

17. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a vertical chute for the closures, of means. for intermittently feeding the closures through the said chute, means coacting with said chute for holding a stationary closure therein against rotation,

means in alinement with said holding means for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said holding means, and means for preventing movement of the closures in said chute on the idle stroke of said feeding means. a

18. In a machine for removing sealing disks from closures of the cap variety, the combination with a chute for the closures, of means forv intermittently feeding the closures through said chute, a reciprocable tubular member adapted to project through said chute and provided with notches in its projecting end for holding a stationary closure in said chute against rotation, and means in alinement with said tubular member for removing the sealing disk from the closure engaged by said tubular member.

Signed at New York, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, this 2nd day of November, A. D. 1917.

OLAF RASMUSSEN. EMILIO ALBERTI.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

